History of Latino/a Immigration to the U.S. Essay -- Immigration

Eleanor Roosevelt said, â€Å"the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.† That statement holds strong for immigrants in America. Equal access to opportunities allows immigrants to achieve the American dream. Their success correlates with America’s success because of the contributions immigrants provide to America. Unfortunately, the current immigration policy in America denies many immigrants the American dream. It is crucial to understand the historical context of immigration in America. Initially, most immigrants were from Europe and were not restricted by any immigration laws. Now, most immigrants come from Latin America but are restricted to severe immigration laws. The Latino/a community is one of the most severely affected groups because the current immigration system disproportionally affects Latino/as. Recognizing how the experience of Latino/a immigrants have been both similar and different in the past from other immigrant groups and dispelling common misconceptions about Latino/as today bring an awareness how Latino/as are affected. Latino/a immigrants share similar experiences of anti-immigrant rhetoric just like other immigrant groups. Many Latino/as in America have faced negative comments based on their identity. For example, Rush Limbaugh, a radio host, expounds negative comments toward Latino/as, particularly Mexicans. He claimed that Mexicans are â€Å"a renegade, potential[ly] criminal element† that is â€Å"unwilling to work† (Media Matters for America, 2/28/06). These malice comments were similar to that of other immigrants. As other immigrant groups of non-English descent started arriving in America, there was an immigrant phobia towards the newcomers. During the mid-1700s, Benjamin Franklin said ... ...ves of immigrant groups such as the Indians, Chinese, and Germans have proved that prior policies have been based on anti-immigrant rhetoric at that time. Therefore, reforming the immigration policies today should not be based on racism, or nativism. In addition, it is important to dispel the misconceptions of the Latino/a immigrations today because it is a mistake to formulate polices based on preconceptions of racialized groups. Works Cited Aoki, Andrew, and Okiyoshi Takeda. Asian American Politics. Polity Pr, 2009. Print. Fernandez, Lilia. "Introduction to U.S. Latino/Latina History." History 324. The Ohio State University. Jennings Hall 0040, Columbus, OH, USA. Address. Media Matters for America n. pag. Web. . "World War II by the Numbers." National World War II Museum n. pag. Web. .